Kenya Crisis

These days I have been reading about Kenya. I'm truly sorry to hear what had happened over there. It all started from the election last Dec. It's not as if who was elected as the president will mean much to me, but it's what happened after the result was announced and the civilian's reaction towards it that caught the headlines of newspapers all over the world.

President Mwai Kibaki from the tribe Kikuyu was announced the leader over Raila Odinga from Luo. As Odinga's supporters believe that the result was fraud, they protested. What caught my attention on the news that day was a Lutheran Church in Nairobi was burnt down, together with 22 lives in it - burnt alive. I was disturbed by the idea of burning church as it is the body of Christ, what's more, were the lives sacrificed on behalf of one's anger and dissatisfaction towards unjustice.

Following that, were more and more riots and commotion in Kenya. Hundreds were killed and thousands were displaced. Kofi Annan has to step in, as well as John Kufuor, the African Union Chair from Ghana. They try to bring together the two leaders and suggested power sharing between the two of them as a solution towards the not-very-credible election outcome.

While talks are underway, the some civilians in Kenya continue to pray for their nation. They went back to the Lutheran church and pray for peace to be restored in the land. It moves me to see when there are groups of people out there threatening their safety, they weren't at the same time find ways to retaliate back, but turn to God and seek God's advice. Families were killed, yet they ask no revenge. They want protection and peace, not guns and bombs. But are their leaders doing enough?

To a lot of people, this incident may just be another incident in a country far, far away from their comfort zone. The numbers of death tolls appear in newspaper everyday are just another number. 153, 560 or 897 don't make any difference. A lot of people are numb towards the sufferings of other people, especially a relatively poor country like Kenya. To some, it's because they think they can't do anything to make a change, hence they don't bother about it.
But it's the idea of being a human, we feel for one another. We feel sorry for what they have been through. We feel worried for what is going to happened to them next. What happen if President Mwai Kibaki doesn't want to have the re-election? He is electing new parlimentary ministries now. What will the civilians face if the talks failed? Will Kenya turn into a rough nation? For how long will the civilians have to struggle in the turmoil, which worsen the poverty there? How are they getting along with the fact that their families member were killed? How many children has become orphans? How many have to flee from their home?

I believe I hear the cry for a Saviour's mercy. Do you?

I just want to spread the awareness to concern about what's happening around the world. And be a human who has a heart of flesh to feel.